WOKING planners have taken a U-turn on a decision to fight attempts by LA Fitness in Horsell to increase its membership by nearly 50 per cent.

At a meeting of the council’s planning committee last Wednesday councillors voted to invite the fitness club in Arthur’s Bridge Road to re-submit an application to extend its membership from 3,500 to 5,000.

This decision was made three months before a public inquiry was due to investigate the council’s decision to refuse an application for the increase in December 2004.

A report to the committee by officers detailed objections by nearby residents who said an extension in membership would make nearby roads unusable as club users struggled to find parking close to the club.

Councillors say the refusal of independent and statutory consultants to build evidence in favour of Woking Borough Council’s case for the inquiry is an important consideration in the decision to invite another application by the club.

If the public inquiry decided against the council, it could incur costs at the taxpayer’s expense.

Many councillors agreed plans to extend a parking zone near the club, designed to restrict parking during the day for non-residents, could limit overspill parking from LA Fitness.

Richard Sanderson, councillor for Horsell West, said: “What I do not understand is how we have had a year to prepare a case for the public inquiry and we do not seem to have been able to do so.

“Why have we used the same consultants to assess the planning case for additional membership as we used in the original application? We are being asked to grant permission for an increase of membership and that will certainly have an impact on parking in the area.”

Jim Armitage, councillor for Horsell West, said: “We do not have all the details of the application. My worry is their current membership figures do not tell us how many people use the club on a regular basis.”

Cllr Philip Goldenberg said: “It is appropriate this application comes back to committee and we try and find a different consultant who can assess the evidence. I do not have confidence in someone who has already taken a view previously that there is no case in favour of refusing additional club membership.”